It’s easy to think that a Facebook page and Twitter account are among the best ways to connect with them. But the truth is, a tweet is largely ineffective without an underlying Gen Y strategy.

Gen Yers are nothing like their predecessors. They embrace different life experiences and career paths. They’re highly mobile and willing to move from coast to coast—and then back again.

Members of Gen Y like to research just about everything, and they’re much more focused on investing and saving than their predecessors. They like to save money, buy homes as soon as possible, and retire early—if possible.

As such, they have aggressive financial goals, and they’re looking for information, guidance, and access to financial planning tools to help them make decisions. They’re willing to do their homework and conduct thorough research before making these big life decisions.

Communicate appropriately

Currently, Gen Y members fall into two segments:

1. Those who are in college or live at home with their parents.

2. Those who’ve already entered the workforce.

Regardless of their life stage, members of Gen Y rely on their parents for advice. They go to their parents first for financial advice, and then they turn to their friends and other family members. After they hear from family and friends, they do their research online to make sure they’re hearing the same message from their online communities.

When your credit union creates its portfolio of products and services geared to Gen Y, it’s essential that you tell your Gen Y members and their parents about it, using the appropriate communication channels for each audience.

Let parents know you have financial products and tools available to help their children. Tell them how to access those tools and provide a contact person for additional information. Use your business intelligence soft ware to identify these parents and push messages to them through all your communication channels (including your front-line staff).

For your Gen Y members, communicate through the same channels they currently use: email, text, or the Web. Speak plainly, directly, and authentically when explaining new offers without being preachy or sounding like you’re selling. Offer to send text alerts when new products or services become available. Then, do it.

Get personal with your website

Consider creating a separate, less traditional website specifically for Gen Yers to satisfy their quest for information and personalization.

Instead of a home page with pages labeled “checking” or “savings,” consider pages labeled “creating a budget,” “qualifying for a home loan,” or “early retirement planning.” Create a blog that chronicles the financial journeys of some young members as they save for a home, start a business, or get out of debt.

In this format, young members tell their stories, use your tools and products, and let readers follow their progress and interact. This kind of blog can even offer an occasional video element, if budget and time allow.

If you offer a website like this or launch a blog, be sure to keep the information fresh, update articles, and add new posts at least twice a week.

That means you have to dedicate resources to this initiative to keep the site relevant and meaningful. If you don’t, you’ll turn off the very group you’re working so hard to attract.

If your blog is interactive, have a process to review user comments before they’re posted. This ensures no one unwittingly posts personal account information or other inappropriate comments.

Who should be the 2018 CU Hero of the Year?

Champion of America’s Credit Unions

Credit Union National Association is the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America’s credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.